Synopsis

This extraordinary book provides a journey through the jungle of good and bad graphical devices used to illustrate and mystify data. The diversity of examples ranges from Napoleons retreat from Moscow to the O-rings on the space shuttle, and from mortalities in hospitals to bus schedules. The author illustrates how a well-chosen graphic can reveal in an instant the essential truth behind some data, whilst a poorly designed representation can be used to conceal the awful truth. As well as providing numerous examples of both, the author includes numerous suggestions to make us all better producers and consumers of graphics.